Meet the Maker: Cael Kendall of Laughing Chickens

Cael Kendall has spent over 20 years bringing ecologically sound and reclaimed wood products to market. His latest passion is building Laughing Chickens coops, made from reclaimed redwood fencing.

Find out how he got his start, what’s unique about his coops and his favorite way to eat fresh eggs in our Q&A.

Describe your company’s philosophy.

Our goal is to build exceptional urban garden products from sustainably harvested and reclaimed woods. We believe the world will become a better place by cultivating local food systems and reclaiming our collective agricultural roots.

How did you get your start? Why did you decide to focus on chicken coops?

I grew up in the old growth forests of Northern California and British Columbia. At a very young age, I was deeply impacted by the deforestation that I witnessed and became dedicated to promoting sustainable forestry practices. After many years of developing and selling environmental wood products, I became increasingly interested in urban farming. I realized that the building backyard chicken coops provided the perfect opportunity to utilize reclaimed redwood that was otherwise going to the dump.

What is unique about your coops?

We are the premiere manufacturer of reclaimed redwood chicken coops. Our coops are predator-proof and functional works of art. They require very little maintenance and will look beautiful for years.

Where do you get the materials to build your coops?

Our hen houses are made with reclaimed redwood fences. We source them from the many homeowners and contractors that are installing new fences, patios, and deck. It saves a trip to the dump and allows us to reduce the amount of waste in the world.

If you weren’t building coops, what would you be doing?

When I’m not building coops, I am building raised bed garden systems or spending time with my family.

What are the benefits of keeping your own chicken coops?

I love having fresh eggs available every day for my family. My kids spend hours hanging out with the chickens, feeding them kitchen and checking for eggs. They are easy to keep — no need for to take them out for walks, no boarding fees or expensive veterinary bills.

Hens also make amazing groundskeepers. They will go after pesky insects and their droppings make for excellent compost and garden materials.

Describe a typical day and your working environment.

Every day is a little different at our workshop. We are often busy building components for our coops or designing new products for our clients’ gardens. You will find us making dust with general power tools, listening to urban radio, and enjoying the California sunshine.

What is your favorite way to eat eggs?

Personally, I love Huevos Rancheros with a dash of hot sauce. My kids love to make puff pancakes with fruit.

What are some of the ways you customize the coops?

We are happy to oblige custom orders. We try and change things up by offering extended runs, chicken paintings by local artists (see our work with Mary Lee Rybar) and heart/moon/stars that we carve into the eves of our roofs.

7 comments about “Meet the Maker: Cael Kendall of Laughing Chickens”

I have purchased a couple chicken coops from Cael and his team at Laughing Chickens – one with a run and one without. They are beautiful in my yard and very well designed. Predator proof, easy to clean, well ventilated and my chickens love them! So glad to see chicken owners across the country able to get these fabulous coops. Looking to expand the flock and get another one this Spring!

My husband grew up on a farm, I would love to surprise him with a new chicken coop, my concern is living in upstate ny, winters can be long and cold, is this a feasible thing to set up with our climate? Thanks

My chickens in prior years were getting snatched up by predators that would dig under our fencing and get to the chickens in their barn. On your chicken run is the bottom floor wired as well, and if a fox got into the run at night is the housing locked up secure from inside the run ? I miss having chickens but didn’t want to add more until I found a suitable way to keep them save. I love the look of your design.